Front landing leaking into basement when it rains

Hi,

I have brick front landing that needs some repair. The landing is a trapezoid, 8' on the long side, 6' on the short, and about 5' between them. The landing is centered over the foundation, so 2 1/2' of the landing is the basement ceiling.

The brick and mortar is very old and chipped, and much of the wood siding touching the bricks has rotted from moisture. There is at least some flashing underneath, since when I took some baseboard trim off, I saw it. However the seam was lined up the the seam in the trim work instead of going around the corner.

In the basement, the ceiling has what looks like duct work below the bricks, which has opened up, and I can see about a 3/4" layer of some hard substance, which has holes in it, so it doesn't appear to be anything for waterproofing.

When I ran a hose on the steps, I could see water coming in from inside the "ductwork", and on the wood on the outside of the "ductwork".

I've received some quotes to have the steps redone, but I'm not sure they're qualified to resolve the leaks. I want to be sure that when I redo the steps I'm not going to have any more problems.

Here are my questions:

1. What's the proper way to water proof under a brick landing?
2. Is it likely that the leak is coming directly through the old mortar?
3. What are your recommendations for me to resolve this issue temporarily?
4. If I redo the landing, what are the advantages of brick vs pavers vs bluestone? Any other suggested step material?
5. Should I rip off the steps or try to patch it?
6. Any other general comments would be greatly appreciated.

Front landing leaking into basement when it rains

one thing that would help would be to redo the front steps and make sure it pitches slightly away from the foundation. From the pic, it looks like it settled in a manner that permits water to pool on the steps and possibly even flow towards the house....

Front landing leaking into basement when it rains

Did you ever resolve your problem with the brick steps? I have a similar issue where my front steps are directly in contact with my basement foundation/box frame holding up the first floor joists. I'm convinced water is seeping through the bricks, I'm going to try and seal the brick steps this spring with "Defy Water repellent for brick".